Be honest: if you are female and in the career world, you've uttered the phrase "I'm sorry" more times than you care to recall. You preface statements with "I'm sorry," utter the phrase after someone steps on your shoe or closes the elevator door on your foot, or say it to grab someone's attention.
Bearing that in mind, Pantene has just released a new ShineStrong ad campaign, I'm Sorry, that showcases how women belittle themselves by mentioning the phrase everywhere, from the boardroom to the bedroom. The next phase of the commercial showcases what happens when these women remove "sorry" from their vocabulary.
This advertisement is the second wave of Pantene's women empowerment ads. Last year's commercial (Labels Against Women) highlighted workplace labels; "I'm Sorry" is just the latest in a series of thought-provoking ad campaigns geared toward professional women.
You're not really sorry. What you are really trying to do is tell the other person that they must be busier or more important than you--which is why you're "sorry" to disturb them. Except this is almost never the case, especially when you are at the office. You are there to work, and oftentimes that means offering up your ideas. That's what your boss and coworkers are looking for. Saying you're sorry is holding you back.
Sorry is a five letter word. You need to banish the word "sorry" from your workplace vocabulary. Don't use it as a crutch. Don't hide behind its emptiness. Stand up for what you believe in. Do you want someone's attention? Ask for it. Don't apologize for it. Colleen Jay, president of P&G Global Hair Care and Color says, "We believe the message of the 'Not Sorry' video will resonate with women, encouraging them to be more aware of this diminishing behavior and, in turn, prevent any bias they may be unconsciously creating."
Bring Back Confidence. You are where you are professionally because you earned it. You didn't just get lucky. Your talents and skills were recognized, and that's what earned you the job and got you the position you deserve. You have nothing to feel sorry about. So if you feel an "I'm sorry" coming on, bite your tongue, pause, watch this ad and rephrase your next statement. "I think," maybe?
You've Got Some Nerve! 6 Tips To Raise Your Career Confidence
Heading into a job interview, presentation, raise negotiation or asking to speak on an industry panel?
All these career "asks" take some amount of nerve mixed with confidence. Not only do you need to believe you're worthy of the "ask" in question, you need to muster up the courage to make that initial request as well. Visualizing asking your boss for a bump in your salary of 5 percent seems a lot easier than when you are standing in front of her sweating, perplexed, playing with your watch band and feeling like a deer in headlights.
Here are six things you should do before any big ask.
Practice makes perfect: While it's true some people are born naturally confident, for the rest of us it takes practice. The more you work on your tennis game, yoga moves or Photoshop talents -- the better you become at it. Think of confidence as another skill you need to practice, learn, perfect and earn.
Get a power outfit. In medieval times knights had armor to protect them in battle. In 2014 women need to be dressed with a modern suit of armor. Get a go-to power outfit. It could be a dress, suit or even a blazer and dark jeans. Whatever you choose needs to make you look great while also feeling confident and influential. When we look our best we're often more up for a work challenge.
Pinpoint your fear. We often lose our confidence when we aren't prepared. Confidence is learned through experience. Do your homework before your next meeting. Do the research and know the tough numbers and facts off the top of your head as opposed to checking notes during a meeting or presentation. Don't give yourself the opportunity to fail. Focus on using your knowledge and expertise to win over your boss, co-worker or client.
Let's go to the videotape. It's very tough to picture ourselves in high-stress situations when we aren't at the office. Videotape yourself the night before a presentation, business trip or sales meeting. You'll see points where you stumble or use filler words (like, um, ya know). Why are you stumbling in these sections? You aren't as prepared as you should be. If you haven't convinced yourself of your words then you won't be able to convince anyone else. You'll also be aware of your body language. Do you flip your hair, tug your shirt, adjust your glasses, lean, tap a foot, and play with a pen while speaking? These are all dead giveaways to a listener that you are not confident.
Speak up. With confidence comes respect. You need to learn how to speak up and insert your expert opinion into the workplace conversation. On your next staff meeting, put on your go-to power outfit and make a point to add your two cents on the meeting's agenda. Prepare in advance. This is the time to change your company's perspective of you. Become a voice your boss and co-workers search for in a crowded room. Don't bite your tongue if you've got a great idea -- announce it.
Don't' stress over stress. Everyone gets stressed out from time to time. Instead of thinking of that stress as a confidence buster -- use it to your advantage. We often get stressed out when we're working on a challenging task. Stress occurs in the anticipation of working on an assignment outside of our comfort zone. Seek out these types of opportunities. If you are getting complacent or bored at the office that's when laziness and sloppy work ethic come into play.
6 Ways to Boost Your Confidence at Work
All these career “asks” take some amount of nerve mixed with confidence. Not only do you need to believe you're worthy of the “ask” in question, you need to muster up the courage to make that initial request as well. Visualizing asking your boss for a bump in your salary of five percent seems a lot easier than when you are standing in front of her sweating, perplexed, playing with your watchband and feeling like a deer in headlights.Here are six things you should do before any big ask:
1. Practice, practice practice. While it's true some people are born naturally confident, for the rest of us it takes practice. The more you work on your tennis game, yoga moves or Photoshop talents — the better you become at it. Think of confidence as another skill you need to practice, learn, perfect and earn.
2. Get a power outfit. In medieval times, knights had armor to protect them in battle. In 2014, people need to be dressed with a modern suit of armor. Get a go-to power outfit. It could be a dress, suit or even a blazer and dark jeans. Whatever you choose needs to make you look great while also feeling confident and influential. When we look our best we're often more up for a work challenge.
3. Pinpoint your fear. We often lose our confidence when we aren't prepared. Confidence is learned through experience. Do your homework before your next meeting. Do the research and know the tough numbers and facts off the top of your head as opposed to checking notes during a meeting or presentation. Don't give yourself the opportunity to fail. Focus on using your knowledge and expertise to win over your boss, co-worker or client.
4. Videotape yourself in advance. It's very tough to picture ourselves in high-stress situations when we aren't at the office. Videotape yourself the night before a presentation, business trip or sales meeting. You'll see points where you stumble or use filler words (like, um, ya know). Why are you stumbling in these sections? You aren't as prepared as you should be. If you haven't convinced yourself of your words then you won't be able to convince anyone else.You'll also be aware of your body language. Do you flip your hair, tug your shirt, adjust your glasses, lean, tap a foot or play with a pen while speaking? These are all dead giveaways to a listener that you are not confident.
5. Speak up. With confidence comes respect, so learn how to insert your expert opinion into the workplace conversation. Before your next staff meeting, put on your go-to power outfit and plan to add your two cents on the meeting's agenda.This is the time to change your company's perspective of you. Become a voice your boss and co-workers search for in a crowded room. Don't bite your tongue if you've got a great idea — announce it.
6. Don't stress over stress. Everyone gets stressed out from time to time. Instead of thinking of that stress as a confidence buster — use it to your advantage. We often get stressed out when we're working on a challenging task. Stress occurs in the anticipation of working on an assignment outside of our comfort zone. Seek out these types of opportunities. If you are getting complacent or bored at the office, that's when laziness and sloppy work ethic come into play.